Sugar Magnolia

It has been not a perfect vacation (that would be mild weather, sleeping late every day, no workmen, no homework, housework that is light and stitching nearly every minute), but it has been close, and much has been accomplished in the last few days. I took two midterm exams, gathered the materials for a paper due in two weeks, shepherded a few workmen through some successful repairs and updates, stitched at least some of the time, did errands and cleaned through days of thunderstorms and downpours and blistering, muggy heat, tended my flowers and my vegetables and took some pictures along the way. Oh, and bought a great needlework project, that at this moment should be winging its way to me. Speaking of which, it seems that Charlotte Clayton, although her sampler was stitched in 18--something, anticipated passenger flight. Note the airplane behind the cat on this closeup of one of her motifs. Cue the spooky music. Or is it a bird? You decide.

Tomorrow I fly off to Cape Cod, and I plan to visit Cranberry Cross Stitch (Cranberry Stitch? It's in my purse, along with the directions) once I land in Providence. I'm looking forward to checking out and doing Cape Coddy things. My list of to-do's is short: take lots of pictures, eat some seafood (maybe a lobster salad roll but definitely a stuffed quahog), watch my mother swim at the beach (she loves to; I don't), visit the little town center and take in the sight of summer tourists, have an ice cream cone, encourage my father to fire up the grill (do you notice how much of this trip is eating?). Maybe I'll blow up the inflatable kayak and take it to the end of the street and paddle the tidal inlet, although I doubt it--I always mean to and then I don't. Maybe walk to photograph the gardens that grow so well in the brilliant sunshine (all that reflection off the water) and the fog. Maybe walk to the seafood seller on the harbor bridge and buy a carton of quahog chowder. Mmmmmmm. And hopefully stitch a little on the screened porch while the sea breeze blows. Not a bad thing to do with the last weekend of my vacation, even if I am reluctant to leave home and all my projects.

Here's my stitching on Peaceful Paradise, which I did a little more on while I waited at the doctor's office to have my blood pressure medication refilled. It might be the vacation, or the stitching, but my bp has never been lower at the doctor's office.

This is the dining room, by the way. Here's the before picture with the border of noisy magnolias and the burgundy lower wall. You hardly notice the chair rail because the color and border overpowers it.

Here's the after picture, with simpler colors. The green here is fairly close but not quite true to life. It's sort of a sagey, silvery green, very peaceful. (We were scared it was going to turn out minty looking, but it didn't.) I have the perfect sampler for it, nearly done, which when I can find it, I'll finish.

No computer where I'm going, so I'll post and visit when I get back next week. Have a lovely weekend.